


Fans and Flowers

by azulights



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Backstory, F/F, F/M, Gen, POV Suki (Avatar), POV Third Person, Post-Avatar: The Last Airbender
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-10
Updated: 2020-12-02
Packaged: 2021-03-07 18:40:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 14,125
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26932270
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/azulights/pseuds/azulights
Summary: Suki's life began on a small island off the coast of Yokoya. Her life was ordinary, simple. Yet she yearned for something else, a new adventure. Little did she know, her life was about to be turned upside down. All due to a pair of golden fans and three teenagers.
Relationships: Aang/Katara (Avatar), Aang/Toph Beifong/Katara/Mai/Sokka/Suki/Ty Lee/Zuko, Mai/Zuko (Avatar), Sokka/Suki (Avatar), Suki (Avatar) & Other(s)
Comments: 22
Kudos: 24





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone! This is my first ever attempt at writing a fanfic, but I'm going to try my best and I hope you like this! This fanfiction is going to follow Suki's life before, during and after her first encounter with Katara, Sokka and Aang, and I'll be updating this whenever I can! I'm not sure yet how long this is going to be, but I'm just going to go with it and have a bit of fun! All of the other chapters will be much longer than this one, but this is just the prologue!  
> hannah x

####  Prologue 

The mid-May afternoon bestowed a plethora of golden sunbeams on the small island. The water sparkled a brilliant blue, and ivory clouds were sparsely scattered in the sky. Pink cherry blossom petals blew across the ground in the sea breeze and a group of children clad in blue played with them. A scream echoed through the town, followed by the cry of a baby.

From the moment the child was born, it was desperate to make it’s mark in the world. It could certainly make a racket.

“Congratulations, Noyo. It’s a healthy little girl, and we couldn’t be more proud.” The midwife helped to sit the exhausted new mother up while gently placing the slightly red, slightly small newborn in her arms. She looked down at the helpless baby. Her eyes twinkled, full of promise and curiosity, a deep admiral blue like Noyo’s own. The corners of her mouth curled into a grin and she placed her head to the girl’s, a singular crystalline tear sliding down her face. She pulled her closer. “Thank you.” She whispered, not looking up from her baby. The midwife, Shima, placed her pale hand on Noyo’s shoulder and responded quietly, “Do you have any ideas what you are going to name her?”

Noyo nodded. “Suki.” Her voice did not falter. She was sure. “It means beloved.” She added after the fact. It was a fitting name, really. This little girl was her entire world, and she was certainly beloved.


	2. The Storm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! So, this is the first official chapter in this fanfic I'm writing, and I hope it's okay? I'm not 100% happy with this but things will improve (hopefully!) as we go along haha. Anyways, enjoy.

7 year old Suki was transfixed with the dark green dress she wore. She was obsessed with the golden headdress balanced on her head and the snow-white colour that stained her face. She wanted her own pair of golden fans, and often she begged her mother to paint her with the same red colours the statue wore. Suki wanted to be exactly like Avatar Kyoshi, fearless and powerful and different. She too wanted to save lives and help people in any way she could, by any means possible. It wasn’t really a surprise she yearned to be a Kyoshi warrior. It wasn’t a surprise at all.  
Clumps of blue gathered in the village centre, the inhabitants socialising in the cool autumn air, shopping at the market, cleaning Kyoshi’s statue, hauling in fishing nets brought in by the sailors. It was almost as if the peace were a great lake, still and unassuming. However, all it would take for that peace to be ruined would be a singular stone flung into it. The ripples would disturb everything.

Noyo had thrown the stone into the calm lake. “Suki!” She shouted. The prevailing winds took her desperate shouting and lost it in the breeze, which only heightened Noyo’s worry. The clouds that had hung overhead all day were getting darker and darker by the minute and the air had the underlying bite of cold that came before the oceanic storms. Little Suki was somewhere on the island, and she hadn’t been seen by any of the villagers for at least three hours. This made Noyo sick to her stomach. Suki was her whole world, and even though she was confident and strong and independent she couldn’t stand the thought of her being caught out and stranded while the inevitable rain hounded the place. If she got injured in the slightest she wouldn’t be able to forgive herself. Not only that but the villagers were little help. They turned their heads, but Suki running off to explore was commonplace and they obviously weren’t as panicked as Noyo. After all, her mother frequently came shouting after Suki, so they turned a blind eye. Where on earth could she have run off to?

“Suki. I’m going to tell you what I’ve told you already five times today, you can’t become a Kyoshi warrior.” The older girl scowled, looking down at the little girl pulling her basil-coloured skirt.  
“You became a Kyoshi warrior when you were eight. And I’m seven, which is really really close to eight. Please!” She whined, speaking quickly, her words falling over each other.  
China stood her ground, folding her arms while trying to resist the girl’s infectious charm. She was adorable, she couldn’t deny it. But, then again, she really couldn’t start training the girl in the art of Tessenjutsu, plus the metal fans would be far too heavy. And to have her start wielding katanas would just be downright irresponsible.  
“Seven isn’t eight. Listen, just wait a few more months okay? As soon as it’s springtime, I promise you that you can begin training with us. But I’m putting my foot down. Go home, and be patient, okay?” She ruffled her hair and gently removed her from her leg, pushing her out of the training dojo’s door. She watched as the girl walked away solemnly and smiled to herself. It was nice to have someone so passionate about becoming a warrior, even if they were merely a child.  
Suki sat sulking on a hill beside the dojo. She pouted and laid back in the soft green grass, the blades tickling her skin and pricking through her hair slightly. It was so unfair. All she wanted to do was to learn how to fight like them, learn how to be one of them. She wanted the adoration of the villagers, the comradery with the other girls and the beautiful yet fierce outfits they got to wear. Her lip trembled with frustration and a solitary tear slipped from her piercing blue eyes. Once the dam was opened, it flooded. More and more hot and annoyed tears fell onto the pale skin of her face which she vainly attempted to wipe away with the cuff of her sleeve. The fabric was coarse and rough against her skin; scratching red rough marks across her face. It hurt a little. From her hillside vantage point, she could see the girls exercising, joking, grinning. This made the knots in her stomach tighten more, only increasing the strength of her sobs. Then again, through the window, she could clearly see their forms and actions and various stances. She stood up on wobbly legs, tears still clinging to her raw face, watched as they practised. The lump in her throat was fading slightly as her eyes became unclouded, the tears seemed to have stemmed. Her frustration suddenly morphed into concentration, having found a sudden urge to attempt to copy the girls. She awkwardly jutted her legs out, lacking the well known Kyoshi grace. She sighed, annoyed at herself, her face tacky and stiff with drying tears, but she persevered. Eventually, after around ten minutes, she grasped a very basic understanding of the simple form. Not what she wanted, but progress non the less. Maybe she could prove China wrong and show her she could let her in early! Maybe she could be some kind of prodigy! But then, the rain started. 

It was like the heavens had opened. Rain slammed down to the ground with the same ferocity as arrows from the army. They hammered every available surface and bled through Suki’s clothes, soaking her completely. The late autumn storm brought forth a terrifying bite of cold, complete with the wind that suddenly picked up, tossing orange leaves back and forth. It was like an Airbender had suddenly gotten extremely angry, therefore going completely awry and attempting to pull the trees from the ground they had stood in for years and years. The grass had fallen victim to the torrential water flow, making the hill Suki stood upon as slippery as a sheet of ice deep in winter. She lost her already unsteady footing due to the sheets of rain blinding her. Her ankle rolled over and she tumbled down the hill, knocking the breath from her lungs as she hit the ground. Her face contorted with pain as she screamed. The rain mixed with her tears and Suki prayed right there at that moment that someone would come and dry her off. Unfortunately, she had fallen behind the dojo, making it impossible for any of the warriors to see or hear her as she lay, unable to stand due to her ankle injury. The rain stung her face, seeping into the scratches left behind by the sleeve material. Suki didn’t want to be a Kyoshi warrior anymore. All she wanted to be was back home and dry and safe and not in pain anymore.  
Oyaji had seen the whole thing unfold from Avatar Kyoshi’s shrine. After all, it was only about a hundred and fifty yards away from the hill from which Suki had fallen. He had been polishing Kyoshi’s war fans when he heard a scream. He’d nearly dropped the prize possessions while cursing before he realised it was little Suki’s poor anguished yell. He immediately stepped up to action. He shrugged on a coat in order to brace the violent cold and collected his small lantern. It was probably too weak to pierce through the sudden evening downpour, but it was worth a shot. After all, he had a duty to every individual in the village and he couldn’t let one of the most defenceless get battered by the wrath of the autumn. 

As the rain started hammering down, all the villagers previously milling around rushed inside. Except for Noyo. She was slightly more reluctant. Her only daughter was out there, alone, probably scared to death with nothing to bear the brunt of the storm. However, she couldn’t search for her now. She could barely stand up straight in the gale, and searching for her now would only create more problems. She reluctantly walked back to her house, a painful lump of emotion restricting her breathing. All she could do now was hope her seven year old was okay. 

From the corner of her blurred eye, Suki could see a yellow light fighting the wind. She rolled over, despite the throbbing ankle pain, and pushed herself up. She wanted to make herself more clear to the source of the light. The pale yellow reflected against the falling raindrops and suddenly, like as fast as a lightning bolt, it was illuminating her too. She couldn’t make out the person holding the lantern, but she allowed them to help her up and support her somewhat weakly up to a building she’d never been in or seen. 

Oyaji propped the soaked girl up on the wall of Kyoshi’s shrine. She looked around, not scared or nervously as he had anticipated. Instead, her eyes lit up with an odd admiration and curiosity. Somewhere in her oceanic eyes lay a slight hint of happiness, which was very peculiar, considering the fact she had just injured herself in a seemingly random storm. She was shaking. The cold must have seeped right into her bones. He noticed this and had to think of some kind of way to warm her up. The shrine had little to offer in terms of blankets, plus, he couldn’t part ways with his coat. As much as he wanted her to be warm and well, he knew that he also required to stay warm, as catching a cold in his old age could be lethal. Not only that, but the village needed their leader.  
He paced around the room, trying to come up with some kind of scheme to keep the freezing child from catching her death. Thinking about it, Oyaji realised Avatar Kyoshi’s dress could fashion a kind of makeshift blanket. However, that could be disrespectful to the greatest earth Avatar. Wait- why was he even having this dilemma! Kyoshi would respect his decision to aid Suki. He took it from the hanger (with difficulty at it’s surprising weight) and draped on top of the girl. She flinched slightly.

Suki’s slight stormy accident hadn’t stemmed her need for talking constantly. “Where am I? What’s all of this stuff? Why is this dress so massive? Wait- ARE THEY KYOSHI’S WAR FANS?!” She realised excitedly. The man chuckled.  
“This is Kyoshi’s shrine. These are all her signature possessions, including her war fans and dress.”  
Suki’s eyes widened. Her mouth fell open and she pulled the dress closer to her chest. “Wow-“ She breathed, before yawning widely.  
“Maybe you should get some sleep. That storm is pretty bad, huh, and it doesn’t seem to be slowing down!” He said softly, smiling warmly towards her. She nodded.  
“Thank you, by the way.” She said weakly, before turning away from him and falling sound asleep almost immediately. 

Everything had happened so fast. What a day.


	3. The Challenge

Suki awoke on a hard and instantly recognisable slab of wood. Her eyelids, still heavy with sleep, fought to open. As soon as they did, her ankle started screaming. Not just in pain, but also at the annoyance of being shifted slightly strangely. She could not deny it hurt. Her fingertips were freezing. At least they were nice and cool against the raw and red skin on her face. Careful not to disturb the already sore areas beneath her eyes, she wiped the sleep away. She sat up slowly, gripping the side of her head as she did so. She didn’t know what effect it would have, but her head felt so heavy she had to somehow stabilise it. Despite being awake, Suki didn’t want to leave the safety of her warm (ish) covers, as she knew how dreadfully cold it was outside, even within her house. She couldn’t remember the exact details of the night before, her mind having been fogged up by the numbing cold and searing pain.  
For once, Noyo went into Suki’s room rather than the usual order of things. Suki was usually up, awake and desperate for adventure as soon as the Sun rose above the sea. As much as it interrupted the mother’s much desired sleep, it always made her smile. She slowly opened the door to her room, seeing the girl awake yet confused.  
“Mornin’,” She smiled, walking closer to her. “How are you?”  
“Kinda beat up,” She responded. Even while Suki was injured, she still remained sweet and determined. Noyo couldn’t be more proud.  
“That was quite a storm yesterday. Now, are you going to tell me what you were doing yesterday and how the hell you ended up in Avatar Kyoshi’s shrine with a sprained ankle?”  
Suki blushed with embarrassment. “I- um…”  
“Tell me the truth.”  
Suki pouted. “Fine,” she rolled her eyes. “I was asking China if I could become a Kyoshi warrior yet,”  
“Again? Suki! You have to wait until you are a little older! You should know this!”  
“I know that.” She tilted her head up, in a fruitless attempt to rise above her mother. “I was just watching, and the rain started, and I slipped. Oh, and then Oyaji came and took me to Kyoshi’s shrine because it was the closest building. I used her dress as a blanket!” She explained everything quickly, the words spilling out as if someone had put too many things to say in Suki’s mind, causing her to overflow and talk faster than an eel-hound could run. Noyo nodded along to Suki’s retelling, her eyes widening as she came to the part about Kyoshi’s shrine.  
“You used WHAT as a blanket?!”  
Her tone was equally full of disgust and amazement. “I-“  
“It was such an honour. It was almost if she was protecting me.” She stated proudly, puffing her chest out and forming a firm expression on her face, before the pair of them dissolved into a fit of giggles.  
“I’m being serious Mum!”  
“I know darling, I just think it’s crazy- everything that happened, you got to see your idol’s possessions. You got to touch them!”  
Suki smiled proudly. “Sure I did!” She stated, jumping up from the hard bed, having forgotten about the compromised state of her ankle. The impact sent a shudder up her leg, and she stumbled over as a result of the pain. An ivory coloured bandage snaked around it. She hit the floor with a thud. The wood wasn’t the softest landing.  
“Suki! Are you alright?” Noyo quickly dropped to her knees and grasped her soft yet cold hands. “Your injury isn’t going to heal overnight, honey. Be a bit more careful, please. I don’t want you to make things worse.”  
“I wish I were a waterbender. Then I could heal myself.”  
Guilty pain coursed through Noyo’s chest. If she were a bender, she would be able to help Suki. If her father was still around, he could have healed her. But he wasn’t, and maybe it was for the best. He was a bad influence anyway. 

Suki had certainly an air of her father about her. She was cocky and confident and had a deep-rooted determination that was unshakable. She also had his hair. While Noyo’s was curly and untameable, Suki’s was straight and practical. She’d inherited her mother’s facial features however, their eye colours almost identical to one and other. At least that was the case. It would hurt Noyo to look at her daughter and see the spitting image of her father. At least her hair was slightly lighter, and at least she didn’t have those piercing aquamarine eyes that had initially drawn Noyo to him. Oh well, now wasn’t the time to dwell on the past.  
She lifted Suki to her feet and grasped her shoulder with her warm, rough hands. They were worn down and toughened up by the work she did. The mother steadied the child and squeezed her slightly. Suki didn’t return the affection.  
“Can you stand up properly?”  
“Of course I can. If you let go of me now I would be able to walk just fine.” She responded, confident as ever. She fought her mother’s strong grasp, prying free of her hands and taking a few wobbly steps forward. She didn’t want to admit her ankle was throbbing with pain, so she pushed through it and leant on her dresser once crossing the room. She pouted at her mother as she collected clothes for the day. She was fine.  
Noyo watched in slight horror as the girl semi stumbled, semi strutted across the room. “Suki! Stop being so stubborn and please just cooperate!”  
“I’m not being stubborn. I’m positively fine!”  
She pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed. This child was hard work.  
-  
Suki watched from the window of their small house as the village sprang to life. The clear cold was present, having lingered from the horrendous storm last night. A lot of damage had been done; doors had been pulled from their hinges, market stalls had spilled their contents all over the streets, and various debris promised a tripping hazard. Autumn had come to a much loathed end, leaving with a dramatic exit. However, this was only a whisper of what the cruel winter would bring to the island. 

Kyoshi Island’s winters were always harsh and sometimes deadly. Snowfall was promised, as well as a myriad of storms and large gales. The cold air blew up from the South Pole and because of this, the island had chosen to adopt a similar fashion. The blue outfits were similar to those worn by the inhabitants of the water tribe, and there was an abundance of furs and additional warm clothing. Being as close to the sea as the islanders had its’ perks- plenty of seafood to go around and good trading windows, but also it meant being right up and close with the seaside dangers. Creatures lived in those freezing waters that people dared not to speak of. Rumours had it a giant serpent-like fish inhabited the tranquil blue. 

The girl blew the steam away from the top of the warm cup, sending a gust of green-tea scented steam into the corners of the kitchen. She raised the delicate china cup to her lips and the earthy liquid hit her tongue, sending a shock of heat down her throat. She recoiled slightly, wrinkling her nose in disgust. She wasn’t a fan.  
“Hey! You better not be turning your nose up at my tea, young lady!”  
“Well, I am, because I don’t like it.”  
“Excuse me?” Noyo scowled at the girl. She was certainly a little bit of brat and a picky eater. “You will have what I put in front of you, no questions. Unless you want to be hungry for the rest of the day?”  
She slumped back in her chair and moodily sipped the tea in defeat. She had a busy day ahead of her, and that required a full stomach. She ate quickly and jumped from her chair.  
“Where on Earth do you think you are going?”  
“Outside. Bye.” She said sarcastically, before putting on her coat and rushing outside.  
Noyo sighed. That child was going to be the death of her.  
-  
Putting the village back together was already taking place. Blurs of blue rushed past, carrying various debris to throw away. A group of people were examining Kyoshi’s statue, checking to see if the storm had battered it in any way. The paint job done yesterday had been washed off in the rain, causing the same painters to get to work freshening it up. Suki admired it all, the connectivity of the village working together in order to get everything back to normal. She watched as the Kyoshi Warriors directed the cleanup, as well as Oyaji. A group of children around her age were collecting in a crowd. Even though it was Suki’s usual pastime to attempt to talk to the warriors as they worked, she decided against it today, instead opting to join her fellow seven and eight year olds. One of the men from the village was addressing them directly, gesturing wildly to a large pile of logs on the floor.  
“Now, can I have a couple of strong boys carry this back to the fire and the woods behind-“  
“Hey!” All heads turned to Suki. The children slowly backed away from her. She was angry, her face contorted with rage as she stormed towards the man.  
“Why did you ask specifically for boys?”  
He shrunk away from her, despite the girl being barely four feet tall. “I-“  
“I think me and the other girls are perfectly capable of doing the same jobs the boys can, if not more! Is that not what Avatar Kyoshi would want? Is that not what the Kyoshi warriors prove? ”  
“Well, I-“  
“Let me show you!” With that, Suki leant down and picked up one of the largest logs, swinging it over her shoulder and grunting. The weight almost made her tumble into the group of children, and her ankle screamed in pain. Yet Suki wasn’t going to let this man belittle her for being a girl. She was going to carry this log up the hill and into the woods, and she was going to prove to him that he was being ridiculously sexist. 

She took a few steps forward quickly, stopped, and tried to regain her balance. Her shoulder was already numb from the weight of the wood. The coarse bark rubbed at her skin and the moss that clung to the sides of the wood threatened to make her sneeze, prickling her nostrils with a damp smell. She repeated this movement process. Five quick steps forward, a quick re-adjustment of her hands, only to continue the cycle again. Once she got used to the weight of the wood, she evened out her speed a little, taking her steps more evenly and at a better, steady pace. The village children and young man watched in awe as this little girl hurled a large log up towards the hill.  
“She’s really doing it!”  
Suki grinned as she heard their words of encouragement and disbelief. Despite the cool edge to the air, she was beginning to sweat from the excursion of it all. Her legs ached and her ankle really, really hurt, and her breaths were slightly laboured. The occasional whine of exhaustion escaped her mouth, but she wasn’t going to stop that easily. Looking up, she could see she was getting closer and closer to the forest, which only pushed her further. She was going to show them up, and she was going to complete this impossible task she had assigned herself. 

As she became increasingly fatigued, she struggled to stand upright and swayed side to side. The Sun was climbing higher in the sky, making the day ever so slightly hotter, making Suki’s face glisten with perspiration. But that didn’t bother her anymore. As she had reached the top of the hill.  
She threw the log to the ground, sending crunchy orange leaves and dust particles flying into the air and away from the slab of wood. Her arms and legs were exhausted, and she collapsed to her knees beside it. She breathed heavily as she got her energy back, leant up against the log. From this angle, she could spot some khaki green dresses swaying towards her. She was being confronted by the Kyoshi warriors.  
“That was quite something, Suki!” China exclaimed, picking her up to her feet and squeezing her into a hug. “You are certainly a strong one, aren’t you!”  
Suki nodded proudly, her cheeks blushing slightly from the exhausting task and slightly from the admiration she was receiving from her idols. She smiled widely as she was adored by the teenage girls.  
“So, can I become a Kyoshi warrior?” She asked sweetly, a hint of innocence fringing her tone.  
“No. Well- we’ll think about it,” China responded.  
Suki stamped her foot on the ground. Ugh.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit of a longer chapter this time! Please leave any reviews or critiques you may have in the comments! ;) I hope you enjoyed it!


	4. Bonding

“Spirits. That child is hard work. Are you sure that was my daughter lugging that log up the hill? You didn’t mistake her for someone else?” Noyo asked sceptically while talking with a few of the other villagers. Suki was nowhere to be found, yet again, so, therefore, Noyo was asking around. Again. It was humiliating, the fact that the mother couldn’t keep her only daughter from running off and disappearing. She really needed to discipline that child better. But then again, Suki was incredibly stubborn and would only listen to herself currently. She was going through the nightmare child phase, thinking the world was run by her and everyone else bowed down to her. That must have been why even after being rejected from the Kyoshi warriors due to her age time and time again she persisted. Well, she guessed that was admirable. But would it really kill Suki to take no for an answer just once?  
Suki’s leg’s felt ready to drop off, her arms barely feeling any better. Her ankle definitely didn’t feel good. But yet, she couldn’t wipe the infectious smile from her face as she hobbled back to the village, her hair plastered to her forehead by sweat and a pink tinge gracing her cheeks. Her eyebrows were raised in some kind of mischievous way. She looked as if she’d just fought a platypus bear, and won. Her friends regarded her as some kind of hero.  
“Suki! That was AMAZING!”  
“You should’ve seen the look on Rino’s face!”  
“She’s stronger than half the boys here at least!”  
“Thank you, thank you,” She giggled, waving at them mockingly. She felt like some kind of celebrity. If this is the recognition she got more moving some stupid pieces of wood, what kind of worship would she get once she became a Kyoshi warrior. She fiddled with her hair and smiled at her adoring peers.  
-  
Noyo grasped Suki’s hand and pulled her away from the crowd. Suki writhed and struggled away from her, but in her exhaustion from her previous adventure, she was unable to break free and run in the opposite direction like she usually did.  
“Mum! You are embarrassing me!” She hissed as her mother pulled her away from the crowd and towards the house.  
“I’m embarrassing you? What about you running off every second and me having to look for you? You make me look like a terrible mother. Will you please just behave for once?”  
Suki’s lip trembled and her eyebrows knitted together. “Aren’t you proud of me?”  
“It’s difficult to be proud of you right now when you’ve purposefully disobeyed me, and gone against my direct orders to be careful with your ankle. Suki, please. I’m tired of having to drag you out by your ear and reprimand you for your behaviour, but it’s getting ridiculous. I’m tired, I’m stressed, and here you are only adding to my issues.”  
Suki hung her head and kicked at the dust on the floor as they trudged back in silence. She felt terribly guilty for making her mother feel this way, but then again, Suki didn’t want to spend her days cleaning and doing things she generally considered a bore. All she wanted was an adventure, a chance to prove herself and a platform to recognise her strength.  
Suki was always deemed different from the other girls on the island. Despite having its origins from the formidable Avatar Kyoshi, the perfect and pretty girls were favoured over the strong and powerful ones. Except for the Kyoshi warriors. The warriors embodied what everyone wanted the island to be like. Strength and power while still remaining a gracious and distinctly feminine air about them. But the island bordered both the Southern water tribe and Earth kingdom. Despite their best efforts, the Earth kingdom perfect little girl ideology was ingrained into the society, and the watertribes’ traditional views didn’t exactly contribute to a particularly progressive society. Suki was sick of being measured up against these weak girls. However, her mother had opposite ideas. She was constantly trying to mould Suki to fit in, despite her awareness of her daughter’s dreams and frustrations. Noyo just wanted to blend in, contribute quietly. On the other hand, Suki wanted to stand out and make a difference.  
They reached the door of the house and Noyo forcibly ushered the girl inside.  
“Just- just go to your room. I can’t stand to be around you currently.” Noyo said firmly, rubbing the bridge of her nose. Suki somewhat complied, however she didn’t hesitate to make her feelings apparent when she slammed the door to her room closed with full force, which sent a shiver through the house’s timberwork.  
“Young lady-“  
The mother’s scolding was interrupted by a stern hammering at the door. She leapt up to answer the impatient visitors.  
“Hello, who is this-“  
She opened the door to about five or so of the trusted Kyoshi warriors. She dropped her head in a respectful bow and gestured from them to come in. “Welcome, can I get-“  
“We would like to have a quick chat, Noyo, if you wouldn’t mind,” China said clearly, her face remaining unmoved.  
“Of course. I would be honoured.”  
“It’s about your daughter, Suki.”  
Noyo’s stomach swirled nervously. Oh spirits, what had she done now?  
“What’s she done now?”  
“Nothing. Well- not exactly nothing. More, everything.”  
“Spirits.” Noyo sighed. She sat down. This was going to be one long conversation.  
Suki laid on her bed and stared at the ceiling. Tears slightly pricked at her eyes and she blinked them back as quickly as she could. However, that didn’t stop the occasionally one slipping her focus and escaping down her skin. She didn’t hate her mother, but she just wished that sometimes she would be a little more understanding of her urge for something a little more dangerous. A quiet knock rapped upon her door.  
Suki’s head snapped round to face the wooden slab and watched with a raised eyebrow and it swung open. On the other side of the door stood one of the Kyoshi warriors. She recognised her from her many trips to the dojo, and she believed her name was Miya. Her initial caution morphed into awe and she watched intently as the girl walked towards her.  
Her appearance was striking. She wore the signature green kimono like all the other warriors, a green headband attached to her head. Her face was painted white, with the iconic and striking red streaks adorning it.  
“Hey, Suki, can we have a chat?”  
She nodded enthusiastically.  
“Perfect,” Miya replied, as she sat next to the girl.  
“I’m not going to beat around the bush here, I’m just going to get straight to the point. Suki, we’d be honoured if you could join us within the Kyoshi warriors next year. And we don’t mean May time, when you turn eight. As soon as the new year starts, we’d like you to begin training with us immediately.”  
Suki’s grin spread ear to ear and her eyes sparkled with happiness. “Thank you! Thank you thank you thank you thank you!” She leant towards the older girl and squeezed her tightly.  
“We were so impressed with your log carrying stunt today. But not only that, but your continued display of strength and determination. We would like to say one thing though- becoming a Kyoshi warrior requires trust, respect and discipline. We can’t have you running away from your mother everyday.” The last sentence was a little more stern than the others.  
Suki lowered her head in shame. “I’m sorry…” She whispered.  
“It’s not me you should be apologising to.”  
“I know.”  
Miya looked at the girl. She looked so crestfallen.  
“Hey. Don’t worry about it too much. How about we go on a little walk before we go talk to your mum, yeah?” Her voice was very calming and soft. It made Suki feel safe, and she nodded in agreement, the wide smile returning to her face.  
-  
Suki’s arms were draped around Miya’s neck as she carried her up the hill. She carefully tried to avoid her hair, not wanting to disrupt the beautiful golden chopsticks that had been wedged delicately within her dark brown locks. Miya paused to wipe the sweat off her forehead and then carried on, adjusting Suki’s weight on her back a little bit. They were walking away from the village, towards the mountains and a well known waterfall on the island. The water glittered in the afternoon sun, and the roar of the water was getting louder as they approached.  
Miya dropped Suki down on a patch of soft grass beside the waterfall. The water was sprouting from a rocky outcrop far above their heads, and the occasional odd bit of spray splashed them slightly.  
“I wanted to take you up here to do something with you.” She smiled gently, turning round to collect something from the bag they’d also taken up there. Suki shuffled closer and stared inquisitively at the bag.  
“What is it?”  
“A little tradition we like to do before we accept new warriors into the team is to come up here and do this.” Miya produced a wooden box from the cloth bag and opened it softly. She pulled out a slightly worn, stained wooden box. She opened it and the hinges creaked, suggesting it was old and worn. Inside, three small pots lay inside, as well as a couple of brushes.  
“Come closer.”  
Suki obediently shuffled forwards. Miya took hold of the hair that framed Suki’s face, and pulled it behind into kind of a half up, half down top knot situation. She then opened the largest pot in the box, and using the thickest brush, she smeared a fair amount of the white paste on her face. She flinched slightly at the surprising coolness of the paint, the brush tickling her skin ever so slightly. As Miya swirled the paint onto her pale skin, she became more and more accustomed to the cold tang the paint retained. The older girl was concentrating profusely when it came time to add the signature and intimidating red streaks above her eyes. She strained her hand to try and prevent it from shaking and messing up the lines. Finally, with a confident sweep of the brush, the neat black lines were applied above it. Miya smiled at her handiwork and pulled out one of her metal fans, separating the leaves and handing it to the girl. She carefully took it, and held it up towards her face. In the golden metal, she could see a fierce looking warrior staring back at her. She grinned, the outer corners of her lips straining at the force of the smile. She leapt forward and flung her arms around the warrior, repeating the words thank you and wow until they no longer sounded normal. Miya took Suki’s hand.  
“So, should we go and show your mum? You look so fierce!”  
“Yes. I want to say sorry to her too.”  
-  
“Suki!” Noyo ran towards the pair as they returned closer to the house. She picked up her daughter and pulled her into a hug, brushing a few stray strands of hair away from her face.  
“God, you scared me then! You look so fierce!”  
“Mum, I just want to say, I’m sorry I keep running off. I just get a little bored around here sometimes, and I much prefer the forest to the port. It smells like fish.”  
Noyo laughed lightly and squeezed Suki harder. “I’m sorry too. I shouldn’t be so impatient. Speaking of patience, how about being allowed to train with the Warriors early, hmm?”  
Her eyes lit up and she dropped from her mother’s arms. “I’m so excited!”  
“As am I! Do you have any idea how proud I am of you? This is incredible, honey.”  
“I’m going to try and be more patient. At least I only have to wait until the new year!”  
“At least that. I’m not sure how long I could keep up with your persistent chatter, as it does go on!”  
“Hey!”  
Suki took Noyo’s hand, and now they had made up, they walked back to their house calmly, chatting and smiling as they did so. The rift driven between the two had now been repaired and their admirable bond had been reconfirmed. What a relief.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote this instead of revising for maths but like- who cares haha. I hope you enjoy this installment!


	5. Candles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This candle tradition came pretty much completely out of my head but I did base the Kyoshi Island solstice ritual off of the Day Of the Dead from Mexico as I think it's really interesting and I like thinking of it as a celebration of the dead and spirits rather than mourning. Also, the boy Suki talks to is foaming mouth guy, in case you were wondering ;) (he doesn't actually have a name but I gave him one!) (also, just as a side note, these little Suki/pre-atla / before she's a teenager stories will be more like one-shots than anything)

The Winter Solstice always brought chaos along with it. It was supposed to be a day of festivities, a day of wishing prosperity on the community, a day of celebrating those lost by honouring their spirits. After all, the Winter Solstice was said to be the spirits of the loved ones who were no longer with them in the world came the closest, possibly even visiting the family members left. Candles were lit in windows and lights hung from the streets, feasts were shared with everyone, and an old childrens’ story promised that the deceased left gifts for them if they had been well behaved the year previously.   
The last tradition was a point of contention with Suki. Ever since the warriors’ promise to initiate her in the new year, she had been on her best behaviour; doing additional chores, helping out around the village and most importantly, giving her mother the long overdue respect she deserved. However, still, a knot of guilt wrapped tightly deep in her gut, and she could not drive away the nagging thought that plagued her. What if she really had been bad this year? If her elders thought she had misbehaved, stepped out of line, failed to be respectful, how on earth could the reputable Kyoshi Warriors accept her? The nightmare made her sick to her stomach.

The weather had taken the harsh, unpredictable switch into the infamous biting cold commonly associated with the climates of the opposing poles. Snow was a promise, and a healthy amount had already blessed the island which bore the brunt of the sea’s wrath. Weather issues had affected the connection with the other villages on Kyoshi Island, however that was predictable for this time of year. 

Suki’s mother sorted through the girl’s clothes. Half of them were far too small, and other half of them were simply too thin and cold for the weather they were experiencing. She sighed. This was always the problem. Suki’s clothes were too small, or Suki’s hair was too short, or Suki’s hair wasn’t dark enough. Noyo couldn’t face it the same way that Suki did, but she knew, her daughter was different from the other little girls. It wasn’t because she wanted to be a Kyoshi warrior, or anything. She was like most girls, albeit a little more loud and not quite as polite. It was the fact Suki didn’t have a father. Solstices were especially hard without him, as it was supposed to be about family and togetherness and love, but the event just wasn’t for her. But, still, she couldn’t let this ruin a day so special to everyone else, including her beloved daughter.

The street was busy. Overhead, villagers were busy nailing paper lanterns to the sides of the houses above the ground. Suki recognised the distinctive dark green as she watched from her bedroom window. She knew at night-time, they would light up like magical twinkling stars that often shone down from the black sky. She leant on her elbows on the window frame, the shutters thrown wide open and the wood aching her arms ever so slightly. The solstice always instilled a flutter of excitement inside the girl’s chest, but this year it was slightly different. After this solstice, and a week extra until the end of the year, she would begin her training as a Kyoshi Warrior, and she would go down in history. Yes. She would. As the youngest person to be accepted in for training. She’d found it impossible to wipe the grin off her face that seemed to find itself on her lips most days. She kept having to pinch herself to remind herself that this was all real and wasn’t some crazy fabricated daydream she slipped into often. Her thought process was interrupted by the door to her room groaning open.

She snapped her head round quickly, removing her elbows from the windowsill. Her mother was stood at the doorway, with both of her arms full of clothes. She stepped inside and collapsed the pile onto the floor, a dull thud accompanying the cascade of blue. Suki wandered over and knelt down next to the pile. The blue was lined with furs and fleeces, more accustomed to the winter weather.   
“I can’t believe it took me until Solstice Eve to dig out your winter clothes, darlin’, but now you can stop shivering as these are a little warmer.”  
“What are you talking about? I’m warm!” Suki shot back defensively. Noyo raised an eyebrow and looked at Suki’s slightly quivering condition. She placed a hand on her exposed skin, and it felt like she were gripping a block of ice.   
“No arguments. Put the fur on, I don’t want to a light a candle for you next Solstice because someone was too stubborn to wear a coat.” She enforced sternly. It may have been a little harsh to say to a near 8 year old, but the girl was still so stubborn she didn’t know any other way to get the message across to her. Suki rolled her eyes but did as she was told, picking up one of the coats from the floor and pulling it over her head. The warmth engulfed her, the soft woollen lining soft against her skin. The coat hung down past her hips. It was far too long for her, it must have been one of her mother’s old ones. She pressed her palms to the floor, stumbling off balance slightly as she brought herself to her feet.   
“It’s a little big-“  
“You’ll grow into it. Also, shut this window! Do you want to create a snow drift in your bedroom?”  
Suki sighed and dragged her feet towards the window. She leaned out and grasped the wooden shutters before harshly pulling them in. The force of the slam made the floor shake slightly. Suki was naturally strong, and this sometimes caused a few accidents. Like when she accidentally shut the front door a little too hard causing what could be considered a small earthquake within the house. Noyo might’ve gotten annoyed with her overly strong whirlwind of a child had that child not been as charming and adorable as Suki.

With a smile, Noyo slipped from the room. “I need to go out and collect food for the Solstice feast tomorrow. I’ll be back in a little bit, please don’t break the house apart.” She said with a giggle lingering on her tongue.   
Suki sighed as she heard her mother go down the stairs and out of the front door. After she was sure she was gone, she opened the door of her room and took the same path down the stairs. The steps creaked slightly lighter under her small frame. She opened the front door to her home, the doorknob reaching just under her chin. She was short for her age, but then again, most people on Kyoshi Island didn’t quite grace the same height as the formidable namesake. She walked out into the clear afternoon. Grey clouds hung overhead, promising a chance of snow in the evening that only added to the Solstice ambience. The village was surprisingly quiet, despite the festival breathing dangerously close down their necks. Usually the last minute panic to get everything organised sent the townspeople into a frenzy- practically throwing their money at vendors in order to make sure the feast was perfect- however the usual small yet lively crowds were diminished to only a few stragglers. Suki scanned those remaining for a familiar, trusted face. A boy she recognised was wandering down towards the bay, as did most of the other villagers.   
“Wait!” She shouted, but the wind captured her voice and lost it within its swirl. She grunted in frustration, her shoulders dropping and her back slumping, moody and fed up. But she was Suki. She wasn’t going to just ignore what was happening- of course she was going to find out first hand. Her heart thudding against her ribcage, she ran as quickly and sparradically as her short legs could handle. The decline of the hill wasn’t taken into account on her part, causing her to stumble forwards and slam into the back of one of the boys similar age to her.   
“Sorry!” She said quickly as she pushed herself from him.  
“It’s okay. Why were you running so quickly down the hill?”  
“I wanted to know where everyone was going. They were getting ready for the Solstice but now they are all going to the bay.”  
“Oh! One of the fishermen claimed to have seen the- the… I can’t remember its name. The giant water snake thing!”  
“The Unagi?”  
“Oh that’s what its called! How come you know its name?”  
“My mum always says if I’m bad she’ll feed me to the Unagi. Apparently, her mum told her that too, to stop her from being naughty. I know MY mum won’t feed me to it though, and even if she did, like I’m scared!” She said confidently. The boy’s name was Kiyo. She often played with him, and this very winter she had hit him with many snowballs.   
“You are so brave. How do you do it?”  
“I guess you just… I don’t really know. Make things that scare you be scared by you instead.”  
“That is so cool!” His eyes widened as he stared intently at her.  
“You know, next year I’m going to become a Kyoshi Warrior!”  
His jaw dropped open and he took her arm and shook it hard.   
“That’s so so cool I can’t believe that Suki wow-“ His rapid, excited babble was interrupted by a loud splash. The water had been disturbed by something that was probably large, and therefore dangerous. White crests formed on the water that had been displaced; forcing large waves to race towards shore and crash on the sand. A huge dark shape moved ominously underneath the rippling blue surface as all the villagers who were once distracted turned their heads to witness the spectacle.   
The creature reared up out the water. Even in the slightly overcast weather, its sleek black body glimmered menacingly from the depths it had just emerged from. Sharp ebony spikes lined its spine. A hit from even one of them would surely pierce right through even tough metal armour. The pink crest that sprouted from the back of its head seemed deceptive- it’s light colour heavily contrasting the ferocious face it adorned. Suki gulped.  
Even though it was far away, too far away for it to hurt her, she flinched slightly. Its eyes were so piercing, and it was a lot bigger than she had imagined. It opened it’s mouth to unleash a roar, and in doing so, it sent a cascade of rain onto the villagers observing. Needless to say, Suki was a little more than slightly cold after being right in the splash zone.

-  
Noyo wrapped her hands around the dripping wet furs and wrung them out outside. Suki watched from inside the house as she stood shivering, swathed in an additional blanket over her layers of warm fur.   
“You couldn’t last more than half an hour in the clean coats and you already got soaked!” She laughed, watching as her daughter scowled while shaking. Coat in hand, she walked back inside. It was still dripping. The fire was dancing in the hearth and radiated the perfect amount of heat to prevent the two from freezing. The mother reached up and hung the heavy, damp coat above the flame, the orange flame reflecting perfectly against the coat. Hopefully it would do its job and dry it out, but judging on how wet it had gotten, most likely it wouldn’t be dry until the new year. 

“Mum, did you see the Unagi? It was massive!” She exclaimed, her teeth chattering together.  
“Of course I did, sweetie. Not that I haven’t seen it before, of course,” She smiled, as she wandered over to the kitchen to brew the both of them some tea. Suki knelt down on a cushion on the floor by the fire, her back to the orange flames. The warmth tickled her back in a strange way. Out of the slightly open window, Suki could see the lanterns that had been strung early spilling a warm glow onto the dusty ground outside. A few snowflakes had began to fall.   
“Mum! It’s snowing again!”   
Noyo’s head perked up and she rushed to the same window. She stared out of the wooden frame, smiling slightly as she watched the delicate and intricate shapes drift down. Noyo had always loved snow, and knowing that her daughter shared that same obsession made her heart feel warm. It was another way she felt close to the young girl.  
“Suki, love, would you like to light the candles now, while it’s snowing?”  
She nodded silently, tucking a strand of auburn hair from her face that had fallen from the style. She stood up slowly and helped her mother to collect the candles from the chest in the living space. There were four, to be exact. They were various sizes, the wicks burnt down further on one of them than the rest. She cradled them carefully, before nearly dropping them as her eyes widened in a flash of realisation. She rushed upstairs, hammering her feet aggressively against the hard wood boards. Noyo’s brow furrowed in confusion, but she shook her head in a sort of defeated understanding. Suki often ran off to go perform some extra additional task, and she just let her. Meanwhile, she collected the matches from beside the fire and exited the house to sit on the front porch. A few seconds later, Suki breathlessly stumbled out into the night and copied her mother, kneeling exactly the same on the patio. Clumsily, she opened her arms wide and all the candles came tumbling out. There were now five. Suki had snuck another candle into the mix. The mother opened her mouth to say something, before deciding against it. She could wait until she explained it during the ritual, and she trusted Suki would honour the tradition correctly. 

The young girl organised the candles in height order on the wooden planks, grateful for the covering above their heads that would otherwise expose the candles to the now steady flurry of snow. Noyo exhaled shakily. She slid the covering off of the matchbox and took out one of the thin wooden sticks. She struck the red end against the side of the box, causing a bright and flickering yellow flame to perch on top of the stick. Lowering the flame down, she protected it from the slight breeze with her sleeve. Noyo then made the contact with the blackened wick; the heat already starting to transform the solid wax into a molten liquid form.  
“To Grandad, I hope you are able to find this flame and visit us tonight. I know I didn’t really know you for very long, but you hold a place in both me and mum’s heart forever and always.”  
Noyo smiled lightly, a small tear slipping from the corner of her eye and pricking it slightly. Suki had done a wonderful job honouring her father with the speech. It was now her turn. Carefully passing the match to Suki, she cleared her throat politely as Suki lowered the flame to the next wick.   
“To Grandma and Grandad, I hope you can come to us and see all we have achieved. We’ve built a little family since your departure, and we hope you are proud of us.” She squeezed Suki’s shoulders tight at a one handed attempt at a hug.  
Noyo lit the next candle. “Dear Aunty, your niece would like to wish you an easy journey from the spirit world. You had to leave far too soon, but I know you did so much in your life. Mum misses you too.”

It was time to light the penultimate candle.

Suki took the responsibility of lighting this one. Her mother always did the speaking for this candle, and she always changed the person she dedicated it to every year.   
“To Sako, I don’t know where you are. I have no idea if you are in the spirit world, or wherever, but only the spirits can help find you now. I hope you are proud of your daughter,” She smiled at Suki on that last statement, however this declaration was less heartfelt than the rest. That was because it was about Suki’s father. The seven year old realised her mother had never dedicated a candle to him before.   
“I still have my candle to do…” She said quietly. She took the match and placed it to the new, smaller and wider candle. She then closed her eyes. “To Avatar Kyoshi, I know you won’t visit, but I hope you will protect me as I train as a Kyoshi Warrior beginning next year. That is all.”   
Noyo smiled and pulled the girl in for a hug. She was shivering slightly, so at that point she decided to take the girl inside to finish her tea and bed, leaving the candles to burn on the porch.  
-  
Suki lay on her bed, her eyes fighting to stay open as Noyo tucked her in. The warmth of the covers enveloped her and the mother placed a soft kiss to her forehead as she drifted off. “happy Solstice eve, darling.” She smiled, before sneaking from the room, leaving the door just ajar so a slither of light could protrude through.   
She went into her bedroom, taking out the carefully bundled presents she had gotten for Suki. A charm that could be attached to any kind of bracelet or necklace that was shaped like the Kyoshi war fans, and also the very fans Suki would be requiring for her entry into the Warriors. The fans had been gifts from the existing Kyoshi Warriors, but considering Suki’s dedication to the great avatar, it would seem correct to leave them out as if they had been gifts from the spirits. She held them carefully to her chest, unsure how to hold them properly without them breaking.

Noyo, like Suki, had memorised the exact creaky floorboards on the stairs, meaning she could creep back out to the porch without blowing her cover. She knelt beside the candles, placing the gifts under the sheltered wood store opposite them. Just before she went back inside to evade the cold, she blew out Sako’s candle. She didn’t want him visiting anyway.


	6. Solstice and Family

Like most other children on the day of the solstice, Suki rose just as the Sun crawled above the horizon. The snow that had fallen the previous night obscured the dust paths from view and as the little girl flung open her window, a flurry of snow rushed from her windowsill to the ground below. A cold breeze was present. She brought her thumb up her eye and rubbed the lingering sleep from it, focussing her vision much clearer. She could now make out the blue blobs rushing to their doorsteps to see what kind of gifts had been left behind by their deceased ancestors. Suki wondered what kinds of presents she had received. She leaned forwards out of the window, grasping the heavy wooden shutter she had opened previously. Her small fingers pressed into the hard and cold wood. With all the strength her small frame could offer, she pulled it in quickly. The snowfall from the night before had caused the wood to swell, meaning it didn’t fit perfectly into the frame it had once filled. Once closed, the girl turned towards her bedroom door and avoided the squeaky planks she had memorised. One to the left, the fourth from the door, one right of her bed. Memorised. After opening the door, the next step to obtain her solstice gifts were a little more difficult. The stairs. A labyrinth of creaking wood, they had required a great amount of thinking and stealth to master them. Despite this, she slipped down them like a ninja, barely making the slightest noise. The ground floor was far easier. With the final stage of her stealth mission completed, she pulled open the front door and stepped out into the sharp morning. The candles that had been lit the night previous were now extinguished and considerably shorter than before. A few wrapped packages lay beneath the wood shelter. Suki knelt on the freezing surface, the hard wood pressing into her knees. She crawled towards the shelter before grasping the two parcels left there and sitting up to place them on her knees. She crossed her legs and rested them on her knees in a kind of balancing act. The brown paper that had been used to wrap both of them was coarse and rough, the scratchy surface freezing in the air. Her slender fingers grasped the string that was attempting to keep the paper from falling open from around the small box. She tugged at it and it came untied, causing the paper to collapse away from the small object and reveal a woven box. Carefully, she pulled off the lid which exposed a small, golden fan shaped charm laying on some fabric. It glistened in the watery sunlight. It was very pretty. She then reached for the other parcel, which was considerably larger than the one she had just opened. Heavier, too. There was no string tied around this one, so all Suki had to do was unfold the paper. Once she did so, her hands began to shake with shock. Inside were her own pair of fans. Maybe, just maybe, Kyoshi had seen the candle. What if- what if they were from her? An unfamiliar warm feeling bubbled up in her chest. Her idol..

They were closed, of course. The metal was cool to touch, and as Suki did so, her fingertips sprung back as if she were burned by the freezing temperature. Her reflection stared back at her from the golden metal. She carefully unfolded them, the heavy weight surprising. She wasn’t expecting them to be that hefty. Neither was she expecting the cold hand on her shoulder.   
“Happy Solstice day, love!” Said her mother, kneeling down next to her to see what she was clutching. The fans. Of course she was showing them off proudly. For once, Noyo was excited for the future.  
-  
“Suki! Tea is ready!” Noyo called from the window, watching as the young girl tried to attack mounds of snow with the newly acquired fans. Suki’s hands stung from both the cold metal and freezing snow. She snapped her head out of her train of thought to stare over at her mother, pausing for a second before running inside. The aromas drifting throughout the house from the kitchen were heavenly. This was always Suki’s favourite part of the solstice. A knock at the door signified her grandmother’s arrival. Despite her living in the next village west, Noyo’s mother, Keli, always made the journey to their house on the solstice. Noyo begged her not to do it, saying the journey and old age would kill her, but she always persisted, stubbornly as ever. Apparently the stubbornness was a hereditary trait. Something, to Noyo’s burden, that had been passed down into her daughter.  
Suki opened the door to welcome in the old woman. She smiled warmly and extended her hand politely. Keli instead grabbed the girl and pulled her into a rib crushing hug. Keli had been a warrior in her youth, and had retained her strength even over all the years. A glint of gold caught her eye and she held Suki’s hand as she walked over to the table where she had deposited the fans.   
“Are these?”  
Suki nodded. She watched as her grandmother carefully lifted and examined them, taking in every fold of the leaf. The metal reflected onto her wrinkled skin. She was transfixed.  
“Mum? I don’t even get a hello these days?” Noyo accused, glaring sarcastically at Keli as she came through the open door way that led to the kitchen. Small trails of steam swirled around the room, reminding Suki that she was in fact quite hungry.   
“Nice to see you too, Noyo. I see your attitude still hasn’t changed.” Keli’s words may have been critical, but her tone was light. She embraced her daughter.   
“ I do believe your child is hungry. Shall we get to the eating part?”   
Suki’s eyes widened. “Yes! Absolutely. Thank you!” She said, rushing into the kitchen.   
A grin curled at the mother-daughter duo’s lips. What a child.  
-  
“Suki! How dare you talk with your mouth full in the presence of your grandmother!”   
Suki swallowed the food in her mouth while staring at her mother. She then continued with what she was saying.   
“So, I’m set to become a Kyoshi warrior as soon as next year comes! So, like 3 days!”  
“You know you don’t just become a warrior, right? There’s a lot of training you have to do, rituals and other things that are essential to fighting with them.”  
“Nana, how do you know that?”  
“Well, when I was younger, before your mum and aunty arrived, I was a Kyoshi warrior too. Things may have changed a little since then, though-“  
“You?”  
“Yes. It was dreadfully fun, and incredibly exciting. Do be careful though.”  
Tears pricked at the back of Noyo’s eyes, bringing a painful memory surging back up to the surface.   
-  
Noyo had always been a little bit jealous of her sister, Bon. Bon was the ‘it’ girl, a member of the Kyoshi warriors and a prodigy in hand to hand combat. No wonder the warriors had practically begged her to join. Watching her older sister excel in everything while she struggled and clawed her way up pained her. But then again, there were greater things to be worrying about.  
Noyo was 16 and Bon was 20 when the Dao Fei raids began. The fire nation had stayed away from Kyoshi Island for the most part, but that had its weaknesses. Without their strict rules of the surrounding seas, the desperate Dao Fei used this an excuse to attempt to pillage the island without too much difficulty. However, they hadn’t taken the Kyoshi Warriors into account.   
They arrived upon the island one afternoon, wielding weapons and threats. The Kyoshi warriors were the frontline of defence, and for the most part, the island was protected. Various groups of warriors from different villages across the island teamed up to stave them off. It seemed perfect, flawless. And it was. But maybe Bon had been too protective. Had she not of killed the Dao Fei that was threatening her family, she wouldn’t of had a vengeful member after her. She wouldn’t of been stabbed. Noyo wouldn’t of had to watch as scarlett blood poured from the deep gash in her stomach. She wouldn’t of had to hear her groans of agony. She wouldn’t of had to wash her sister’s blood off her hands after trying to keep her alive. She wouldn’t of had to bury her. Of course. Bon couldn’t have stayed out of trouble for one minute. Noyo could never do the job she needed to well enough.  
-  
A knot twisted in her stomach. She had always wanted her daughter to become a Kyoshi Warrior like her mother and sister, but she always had regrets. Apprehensions. Because of Bon.   
“Mum? Are you okay?”   
Noyo shook her head out her train of thought. “I’m fine. Really.”  
They continued eating. Suki was going to begin her Kyoshi warrior training next week and Noyo had to be ready. She had to let her fufil her dream. She had to let go of Bon a little bit. She had to stop that thought from haunting her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is quite a short chapter but I hope you enjoy it non the less! I've finally added a rating haha, but that may be altered. Now we can get onto the really good, juicy stuff-


	7. The Beginning of an Era

Today was the day. Suki was going to begin her Kyoshi warrior training. 

She’d be lying if she said she wasn’t nervous, for she was. It was difficult to tell whether the girl was anxious due to anticipation or insecurity, however the knots in her stomach certainly suggested her fear. The Sun had barely risen, however Suki was fully awake. She couldn’t be late to her first training session. The mark that would put on her reputation- She rubbed her eye a little. Due to excitement, more than four hours of sleep were a vain wish. She wasn’t tired, though. The opposite, really. If she wasn’t so worried, she would definitely be bouncing of the walls with unrequited energy right now. 

She turned back to her bed from the centre of the room and grasped the soft linen sheets that adorned the simple and uncomfortable furniture. She wasn’t usually one for making her bed but today it felt necessary for some bizarre reason. Once all the creases were smoothed out to the best of her ability, she changed from her sleeping clothes into the ones for the day. She wondered whether she would get her dress today. The heavy chainmail lined fern dresses were a staple part of the Kyoshi getup. A glimpse of the earthy tone was usually met with a reaction of combined awe and fear. A reaction Suki had a dream to instil. 

A few minutes later she was sat at the kitchen table, a bowl of some kind of indistinguishable breakfast slop steaming in front of her. On a good day, this would probably make her stomach turn, but she would begrudgingly attempt to eat it. Today however, there was no hope of keeping it down. None whatsoever.   
“Eat up. Do you really want to be exhausted today because you haven’t eaten properly?”

The girl didn’t answer. She couldn’t. Her throat had closed up.

“Suki, honey, you really have to eat. It’s dangerous to train on an empty stomach. I don’t want you to miss out because there wasn’t enough food in your system.”  
She chewed the inside of her cheek in a contemplative manner. Suki knew her mother, and she also knew she wouldn’t be allowed to leave the table until she at least attempted to eat something. Begrudgingly, she lifted the spoon into her mouth and winced as the odd textured thing made contact with her tongue. Her face puckered due to a physical reaction to the taste. She looked almost apologetically at Noyo. The next challenge was swallowing the foul thing. Nerves for the day ahead had practically closed her throat, therefore making it practically impossible to swallow. The only option was to dispose of it. Right back into the bowl.  
“Table manners, young lady!” Noyo reprimanded, albeit with a smile on her face. She sauntered over to the table and eyed the stuff, picking out the half submerged spoon and examining it with disgust.   
“Cooking was never my strong suit…”   
“It’s okay, Mum. I’m not hungry.”  
“No, you can say it how it is. That stuff looks horrible… somebody would probably class that of some form of child abuse-“   
Suki didn’t smile. In fact, this only heightened her worry. Of what, exactly, she didn’t know. She was second guessing herself, second guessing whether this whole thing was a good idea, second guessing whether she had made a huge mistake. Joining the warriors wasn’t a little extra activity for Suki to partake in on the weekends, it was a lifetime commitment. A lifetime commitment Suki wasn’t a hundred percentage sure she should start devoting her life to at age seven and six months. This was certainly going to be against what Suki presumed to be her better judgement. 

The storm of indecision raging inside her mind must have been showing on her face too, as her mother could read her expression like a book. The girl stiffened up as Noyo walked over to her, breathing heavily to herself. She couldn’t just tell her mother she was planning on abandoning the dreams she’d had her whole life, no, that wouldn’t be fair on her. 

“Talk to me. I’m right here for you.” She muttered in a feathery manner. Out of all days, the one that was most important for Suki’s infectious energy and confidence had to be the day when those emotions seemed to have slunk from Suki’s mind and into a dark, shadowy corner of her body where she had to dig deep to pull them out again. 

She opened her mouth to speak, but in doing so, the weakening dam working overtime to keep her emotions from overflowing had completed washed away, sending a flood of emotion from the seven year old’s body. Noyo simply nodded sympathetically, not being able to detect what was troubling her daughter, but ready to standby as she tackled them. 

“I… I don’t know if I want to be a Kyoshi w-warrior anymore, m-mum,” She whispered, her voice merely a breath. Noyo felt sick. A part of her, a vain, selfish part, wanted her to act on these current emotions. But she couldn’t purposefully betray her own daughter like that, especially in her already vulnerable and confused state. Instead, she wrapped her arms around her and squeezed her trembling frame against her, breathing into her soft, freshly brushed hair.   
“I’m not forcing you, but Suki, it’s all in your head. I-I don’t want to see you give up on all these dreams you’ve had since you were able to talk, because of some stupid first day anxiety. Okay? You, young lady, are a fighter, not a quitter.”  
Suki smiled a little bit, the tears starting to slow. “I’m sorry.”  
“Why are you apologising? Now, if you don’t give me that strong attitude that usually gets under my skin in the next seconds then you’ll be apologising!” She threatened, however a smile graced her face, suggesting she wasn’t serious.   
She brought her sleeve up to her eyes, wiping away remaining tears. “I’m ready.”  
With that, she picked herself up from the chair, flashed one last confident smile to her mother, before taking a sharp breath, swinging the bag containing her fans over her shoulder and turning towards the door. This was it. She was doing this.

-

The sun spilled golden rays upon the island in the early morning although the air wasn’t as warm as the colour. Suki’s breaths were visible as a curling white cloud of evaporation materialised in front of her. Early January frost clung to the ground, hardening the soil and adding a slight audible crunch to the fallen leaves and blades of grass. Her hands were close to numbing and she suddenly wished she had brought gloves. Ah, well. It was too late to turn back now, and doing so would mean she would have to sprint back up to the dojo. That would be hard anyway with the lingering effects of her disturbed sleep but the cold weather posed another challenge. After years of snowball fights with her friends, she had deduced trying to run while cold was downright impossible. 

It was taking much longer than usual to reach the building. Maybe it was because she wasn’t running from her mother to come and spy or pester those inside. Or maybe her legs weren’t cooperating with this sudden rechange of heart therefore significantly slowing her walking speed. She preferred to think it was the former. The latter had the potential to change her mind yet again.

Once she reached the top of the hill, she had to pinch herself to remind herself that she wasn’t just dreaming. This was it. She was doing this.   
-  
“There you are! We’ve been waiting for you!” China rushed over, nearly knocking over the two other girls she had been talking to. “Welcome!” She exclaimed.  
Suki smiled up at her, her sapphire eyes twinkling with a kind of enthusiasm. She didn’t mean to squeal slightly when the much older girl scooped down and pulled her up into a bone crushing hug, before lightly punching her on the arm. Her arm immediately flew up to her shoulder to attempt to nurse the light jab. “T-thank you,” She stuttered breathlessly.   
“Spirits, I may have been a little rough. I keep forgetting that you are only a kid! Youngest we’ve ever trained!”  
Suki blushed a little, not knowing how to properly respond to this sudden shower of compliments. Did this make her some sort of a Kyoshi legend? She hadn’t even done anything yet!

Before she even had the chance to respond, China was practically dragging her to a secluded room at the back of the dojo and kicked open the door, revealing a small, barely more than a storage closet, room containing a chest shoved right up in the corner. The whirlwind of action that had just happened had sent Suki into a flurry.

China knelt down beside the chest, producing a key on a chain that was previously concealed in her pocket. It fitted into the lock without any kind of struggle and as she turned it a hearty click sounded within the tight space. With ease, she heaved the lid up to reveal a neatly folded como green dress, a few of the traditional hair accessories and a closed, intricately decorated box. The older girl carefully lifted out the dress, unfolding the long skirt as it went, while the younger girl picked out the box. It was fairly light, which surprised her, and the contents could heard sliding around it. The top of the dark wood was carved with a pattern of flowers and vines. An obvious amount of hard work had gone into it. Her soft fingertips circled the pattern, curious to know the story behind it. Maybe she was thinking too much into it. Spirits, she hadn’t even opened the box. She didn’t even know what was in the thing!  
“Suki?”  
She snapped her head round out of the trance, to face a confused and a smidgen concerned China. “You okay? You were out of it for a second there.”  
“No, I’m fine! Just excited, that’s all!” She beamed.  
“Okay then… if you are sure- Let’s get you looking proper!”   
She thrust the dress into her hands. It seemed to be heavier than the box! It clinked a little bit, alerting her of how much chainmail was actually sewn into the garment. The dress was supposed to mimic the iconic Avatar Kyoshi’s armoured dress. It had been a gift from her former idol turned enemy as a way to not only look more presentable (her roots were working class, labouring as a servant and personal assistant to the false Avatar, Yun.) but also to protect her from the formidable Pirate Queen Tagaka, who attacked and betrayed them after she proposed they struck a deal. This was the first time the Avatar had displayed her incredible power. Suki had of course studied diligently about her idol, only adding fuel to the flame of her growing desire to become a warrior.

And now, here she was. Stood, her own dress in her hands, her fans in a bag slung over her shoulder, and a lifetime of duty laid out before her eyes. Wow.

-  
“Now, it’s a little big, but nothing some sewing can’t fix!” China smiled mischievously, a needle with some green thread hanging from it in her hand. She looked demonic, like some kind of crude surgeon readying to operate on a patient who wouldn’t survive the operation. Combined with the pale pallor of the warrior makeup streaked with bold red strokes like blood, she was quite rather frightening.

Suki, however, was unphased by the image, her previously nervous and shy demeanour melting away like the morning frost that had since dissipated as the sun crawled up the clear blue sky. She stuck out her arms and pouted in order to display the ill-fitting kimono to the girl.   
“A little big?!” She exclaimed.   
“Mine was worse when I got it. At least you’ll probably grow into it quicker than I did. Maybe a year and it won’t drag?”  
“A year!?”  
“Hey, that’s what the needle and thread are for, dingbat.”  
She scowled a little with annoyance before laughing. The weight was barely noticeable when on, but it was still considerably heavier than anything she’d even worn before.   
She watched intently as the hem was sewn under the dress, and straightened up when it was finished.  
“That’s only the first step!”  
Suki groaned. How long was she going to have to stand here?

Next, the armour was brought it and tied to her with a green ribbon around the waist. This was heavy. The shoulder pads that adorned her shoulders took a little bit of getting used to and she could not possibly fathom how she was supposed to move efficiently in the get up. But, then again, even with the ensemble half complete she looked fierce as ever. The charcoal grey armour plates contrasted with the light, earthy green dress with darker, more leafy accents.  
“Before we get gloves and shoes, we ought to do your hair and makeup.”

Her eyes widened at the mention of makeup. She could already tell this was going to be a challenge, Suki’s handwriting was barely legible and that was just black on a sheet of parchment! Now, painting her face plain white wouldn’t be too difficult, but it was the delicately drawn red streaks resembling deep red roses that frightened her. There was no way-  
“What are you waiting for? Open the box!” China almost commanded, her tone fringing on authoritarian. Though, China now lead the group she was a part of, so it made sense.

Her small fingers fiddled with the latch on the box for minute. It shouldn’t have been this difficult however her shaking hands were definitely hindering her progress. Finally, she ripped it open, to reveal a few pots and brushes of varying colours and sizes. China beckoned her closer to the small mirror tucked in the other corner of the room and urged her to sit down before following suit. She leaned over Suki and produced the largest of the three pots, and unscrewed the lid, releasing an unusual but not unwelcome scent. She then took the longest brush and placed it in Suki’s hand, as well as the pot of white paint.   
“This bit’s pretty straightforward. All you need to do it use that brush to smear the white stuff across your face. Well, I said smear, but try to do it neatly.” She joked, as she watched the girl diligently attempt the task.

As soon as the brush made contact with her face Suki shivered. The paint was freezing and the brush’s tickling and scratchy bristles didn’t help the situation at all. Once she was done with that, she turned back to her mentor. “What next?”

After the red was explained, she breathed shakily. She didn’t want to mess this up. She wanted to be spot on, perfect, first time. She carefully dipped the thinner brush into the red, and resisting the urge to snap her eyes shut when the brush made contact, she dragged it across her skin in one definite swoop. Not quite perfect, a little, the slightest bit wobbly in some places, however from a distance it looked flawless. Now time to match it with the other eye. She copied the technique from the other eye and ended up with two fairly even looking red lines. The black was surprisingly straightforward- only requiring her to trace the very top of the red lines- which made the red stand out even more. The final touch was the only left. As instructed, with a different red pigment from the box, she painted her rounded lips red. A proud grin was the first thing to test the application as she turned to China to show off her handiwork.   
“Looking good! Almost masterly done and you’ve only just learnt!”  
“Of course,” She said, in a prideful manner.  
“We are nearly done here. All I need to do is sort out your hair and then we are good to go!” She replied, turning around on her knees to delve back into the box. She pulled out an emerald green hairbrush as well as a headband with a gold piece on the front and some ochre tassels hanging down from it. It was quite different to China’s headpiece, however she was the leader, so it made sense.

She briefly brushed her rust-coloured hair before pulling a small amount of it into a tight topknot. She then carefully guided Suki to tie the ribbon at the back of her skull in a neat bow. After admiring herself for a split second, she was forcibly pulled up by the older girl.  
“Now, your gloves.”

Silently, she slipped her hands into the grey and white gloves, which fit perfectly.

China then pointed to the gold insignia on the sleeve of the dress. “This here, represents the honour of a warrior’s heart. When you go into battle, remember this. You are honourable. You are strong. The silk threads that make up the dress you are stood in represent the brave blood that flows through a warrior’s veins. You are brave. Remember that. The paint on your face is supposed to strike fear into the heart of your enemy. An added element of danger, a warning sign. But red symbolizes honour. Loyalty. Heroism. This is the face that we show our sisters. The red is the trust we have for each other, buried in the field of white but always showing through in our gaze.” She finished, and Suki nodded in understanding, serious as ever. She removed the fans from her bag slotted them into her belt before looking up at China, a fierce flame of determination burning behind her cool eyes. This was it. She was doing this. And she was going to succeed.

-

As she exited the room with China following swiftly behind her, there was collective cheer from the other girls. She was definitely the youngest in the room, and at least a foot shorter than everyone else, but she felt welcomed. She felt like she belonged. 

“Now, do you promise to protect and defend and fight for your home when the time calls for it?”  
She nodded before repeating the phrase, “I do promise to protect and defend and fight for my- no, our- home when the time calls for it.”  
China extended her hand to her and shook it firmly before offering her a small cup of sake.   
“Only a sip is required to seal the promise,” She whispered, “I don’t want your mother breathing down my neck because I gave you alcohol,”  
Suki suppressed a laugh and sipped a tiny bit. The taste was sharp and earthy and not nice at all. But, besides all that, it was for certain. She was a Kyoshi Warrior now.   
“So, let’s begin training.”  
“Of course.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I HAVEN'T UPDATED THIS IN SO LONG I'M SO SORRY I've just been bogged down with a bunch of school work! I hope it was worth the wait though and I'm definitely going to try and update more!
> 
> A lot of the stuff in this chapter was based off samurai and other Japanese rites of passage including MOJI as the Kyoshi Warriors are based off of the SAMURAI warriors from Japan. 
> 
> A SPECIAL THANKS TO  
> Ravenclaw_Peredhel for nagging me to get this chapter finished and also a special thanks to a_lowly_suzukka_stan for listening me endlessly rant on about MY LAPTOP FREAKING RUNNING OUT OF CHARGE AND ME BEING A STUPID IDIOT FORGETTING TO SAVE THE CHAPTER AND THEN WORD NOT AUTORECOVERING IT ARGGGGGG and also word counts :)


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